How It Ends
by Mackinaw Weasel
Summary: The world never ended suddenly.


One-shot of how the world ends for Valkyrie Cain and Skulduggery Pleasant. If you enjoy it in a sadistic sense, then please comment. Awfully obliged :)

Read on...

* * *

They never found a cure for Tanith Low, and the remnant consumed whatever remained of the brave woman's soul and sanity. And one day, in throws of murderous passion, Skulduggery found himself pressing the cold end of his gun to her head. Her eyes had met his with cold familiarity. But they weren't Tanith's eyes, and he pulled the trigger. A single bullet shattered her mind and set her free.

Ghastly was never the same for some years after that. And by the time he forgave Skulduggery for his actions he was in his thin arms, looking up at the skeleton, unable to say how sorry he was for being angry at him. He wanted to tell the man he had done the right thing for Tanith, but Skulduggery kept telling him all was forgiven. Over and over, he said to not worry about anything, but Ghastly struggled to the very end and died with sadness on his face.

China Sorrows perished not too long afterwards, helping Valkyrie control her true self. She had tried to harbour the girl's magic within herself. Sacrificing her life to be a vessel, but for nothing. The magic collided with hers and she died in a flash of blinding light, from out of which stood her ghost, its beautiful face crying. Its last words were to Skulduggery, asking for forgiveness. As her spirit faded he gave it to her, and his last sight was of her sobbing uncontrollably into her palms, grateful.

Valkyrie had to bury her family; her father and mother rested side-by-side, and her baby sister in the middle, forever guarded by her adoring parents. Skulduggery had expected then to lose his protégé to the rage of Darquesse, but when the coffins were lowered into the Earth she made no movement, no sign that she was turning into her darker self when she had all reason to. It would have been less painful for Skulduggery if she had turned her vengeance upon the world and killed everyone. He wouldn't have had to look into her eyes and know that whatever he said, whatever joke he would pull, could never make it alright. Together, they hunted down Sanguine and her reflection and killed them. Slowly.

A few months later, Erskine Ravel was murdered by the American Sanctuary, for withholding vital information. Skulduggery and Valkyrie were the ones who found his body, still in asleep in bed, a tower of diaries by his bedside table. He had been writing when his throat was slit. Skulduggery found the book he last wrote in and discovered a detailed recount of the adventures undertaken by himself and Valkyrie. They were in-depth, detailed, and honest. The two vowed revenge.

They stood waist deep in rubble, the American Sanctuary lay before them in ruins. Cleavers parted in twos surrounded them like confetti, while blood and flesh coloured the ground like ribbons. There were no more sorcerers who could oppose them, and those that managed to live through the onslaught dragged their broken bodies away to safety. Sanctuaries around the world heard of the devastation. Some become hooked on bringing the two to justice, others shied away in fear.

It took the united efforts of the International Sanctuary to track and bring down Skulduggery Pleasant, charged with crimes against the American Sanctuary, the murders of the American Council of Elders, and harbouring a fellow fugitive. It was unanimously decided to evaporate him immediately upon capture.

It was then that Darquesse broke free and brought swift damnation on those who held her mentor against his will. She twisted the very fibres of their bodies until they screamed, until the skin broke and blood squeezed from their flesh, trickling to the ground. There came no objection from Skulduggery, who watched on with a cold and empty demeanour. Instead he stood, and reached for her hand. She took it in hers and they stepped into the air together.

They vowed they would stop the pain and suffering in the world. Stop death, and stop their hearts from bleeding.

Stop everything.

* * *

**Love to hear a thought, mate.**


End file.
